The governments of past and present in Serbia have never liked journalists. At least this is what Minister of Capital Investments Velimir Ilic demonstrated when, during a press conference in August, he gave the go ahead to cable car workers in the tourist region of Kopaonic, he then threw abuse against the journalist from the independent network RTV B 92 Ana Veljkovic. It wasn’t really politically correct. It seems that the Minister, known in Serbia for his phobia of the press, this time really sent a clear signal. So one question from the journalist was enough to set off a row.The question was more than legitimate, it was regarding the shelving of the accusations against Marko Milosevic, son of the despotic Slobodan, accused of having kidnapped and tortured, in 2000, the political opponent of his father Zoran Milovanic. In this story there are sinister twists that surround the role of the present minister, accused by witnesses of having orchestrated first a witness to change their statement and then the shelving of the case.Ilic didn’t respond to the attack.

 

The press phobia of Minister Ilic. Exposed by journalists, the Minister decided to answer arrogantly. And so for Veljkovic and her colleagues the nightmare began.
Velimir Ilic and his press secretary, Petar Lazovic, made offensive sexist remarks against the unfortunate Veljikovic, then moved to death threats against the Director Veran Matic.
According to the declaration reported by the Association of Independent and Electronic Media the Minister was already upset by the staff at B92: “We are here about a serious and important investment. You from B92, however, have come here to create chaos. You make provocations. You are sick; you need to be in a psychiatric clinic, where you can all go for a joint cure. You could go to Kopaonic, where we are setting up a centre for you, so you can get cured.”
Not happy with this he then turned to Veran Matic: “I am sure that in your great professionalism you are making the Serbs look like idiots. You only know how to talk, to be aggressive, and, to interrupt me.” This long rigmarole was further emphasised by an applause from the representatives from Kopaonic City.
Episodes of this type are not new, the provocative Ilic already made himself noticed in 2003 when, in his capacity as Mayor of the city of Cacak, he harassed a freelance journalist Vladimir Jesic during an interview with TV Apolo. Then it was enough one question about his brother Strahinja Ilic, arrested following the assassination of the Premier Zoran Djindjic, which incited him to kick and push about and then subsequently caused him to be quickly thrown out. This is only one of the many episodes in which Ilic has been involved. In 2001, still in Cacak, Ilic was accused of smashing windows at Radio Ozone.
  Just like the declaration made by Reporters Sans Frontiéres, which, after having expressed their solidarity with Veljkovic, outlined the situation of the media in Serbia and how it appears to be becoming more critical. The last report from the French organisation was very clear. Political instability in the Republic is equal to that of the limits put on the press. Serb journalists, that in 2003 were put to the test for seven weeks with emergency laws that were declared in facing the death of the Premier Djindjic, are still today under heavy restrictions that limit their work.
The control of the press is often put into action with emergency measures such as those following the recent outburst by Ilic.
Dragan Petrovic, an ANSA correspondent in Belgrade, was contacted by telephone, he said that “Following, the not so quiet, outburst against the B 92 network, Djordjevic, the advisor for the Minister for Information, was removed from his job.”  Will that “sacrificial lamb” be enough to resolve the destiny of Serbian information?